A scientist known only as The Mad Doctor has been illegally conducting experiments with brain transplants in his secret lair and the police seem powerless to stop him. However, the experiments aren't altogether successful, and the only brain transplant that hasn't resulted in the death of the patient is that of a gorilla into a hulking human, who now acts as one of the Mad Doctor's heavies. Nevertheless, he presses on with his nefarious schemes, and decides that instead of swapping the brains of women with a low I.Q., he'll attempt one with a notably high I.Q.: the brain of Alice (Sonia Infante), a decent scientist whose laboratory is nearby...
Every country has its pop culture heroes. The U.S.A. has Superman and Batman, Britain has Dick Barton and Doctor Who, and Mexico had its masked wrestlers, most famously Santo. These men were Mexico's superheroes and had their exploits told in film, but what of the heroines? Well, here were a statuesque couple who didn't feel the need to wear masks, Gloria Venus (Lorena Velazquez) and Golden Rubi (Elizabeth Campbell, who with a name like that presumably is a sort of orangey colour), and this was their first exciting adventure together. In some ways, they could be viewed as prototype femininsts, easily as adept, if not better, than the men at beating the baddies.
Doctor of Doom, known as Las Luchadoras contra el Medico Asesino in its native land, was scripted by Alfredo Salazar to resemble an vintage American serial, and we dive straight into the action with Gloria performing in the ring. No time to hang about though, as the Mad Doctor sends his henchmen to kidnap Alice, which they do (while apparently seeing how many people can fit into their car and still drive it) and the hapless lady scientist is soon on the operating table. But yet again, it all goes horribly wrong and Alice is left dead, making the Mad Doctor's mind up to start experimenting on more robust women...
...like lady wrestlers for example. Being the small world it is, Alice was Gloria's sister and when the tragic news is broken to her, Gloria vows to track down the Mad Doctor with the help of her new partner Rubi. Little do they know that he has plans for them too, and the police in the shape of a detective and his diminutive sidekick who become the ladies' new boyfriends are out to prevent him. With only a brief, erm, ten minute break for some wrestling action, we hurry along with the plot and the grappling girls look as if they have foiled their foe as he is captured and unmasked.
But, no, the man under the mask was just one of the Mad Doctor's henchmen and just as he is about to reveal his boss's identity he keels over from a poison dart-induced heart attack. How very convenient! Although if you haven't guessed who the criminal really is, you can't have been paying attention, even it doesn't make much sense. That's this film all over, it doesn't make much sense but has a vivacious verve that complements its lunatic storyline. There are plenty moments of hilarity, such as the small detective telephoning his deaf grandmother to warn her of the mayhem and roaring down the line at her, or the delirious way the Mad Doctor transplants the gorilla brain into a female wrestler called Vendetta for revenge, all making Doctor of Doom a lot of fun. The ladies returned in Wrestling Women vs the Aztec Mummy. Music by Antonio Diaz Conde.
